Chris Mazdzer estimates he has spent about seven weeks in Sochi since the new luge track opened there nearly two years ago.

As one of three men's singles athletes in the world invited to the homologation — or certification of the track's opening — Mazdzer got a special preview in March 2012.

He's hoping the time spent will pay off when he returns for the Olympic competition next month.

The 25-year-old from Saranac Lake, N.Y., had the first World Cup podium of his career in an individual event, placing second Dec. 10 at the track in Whistler, British Columbia. Four days later, he won silver again on the U.S. team's home track in Park City, Utah.

It was the best result by an American slider since the 2005-06 season, when Tony Benshoof finished second in four World Cup races.

"It does help me with my confidence knowing that if I do all the right things that I've done in the past and if I can put everything together, I know that I can go fast," Mazdzer said earlier this month. "So there's less stress in me trying to figure out a new setup. I can focus more on sliding rather than the sled. And mentally, going into a big competition, that's a huge advantage."

After finishing 13th in the 2010 Vancouver Games, Mazdzer has steadily improved his results. A three-time U.S. junior national champion, Mazdzer was sixth in the 2013 world championships.

On Sunday at the final World Cup, Mazdzer was seventh. He finished the World Cup season ranked fifth, the best result of his career.

"We've been doing a lot over the past four years with the program and Chris to get to the point where he is now," said Mark Grimmette, a two-time Olympic medalist in doubles who is director of sports programs at USA Luge.

"I knew that he was on a good path. He's done an excellent job working on his start. His sliding when he's on the sled, his position looks better than it has the past four years. We've done some equipment changes, which also helps. (Last) year, we also took the team to different tracks a little bit earlier to help give them a variety of different conditions on ice as well as trying to get them the best ice possible before the racing season started."

Four years since Mazdzer's first Olympics has allowed him to gain experience, which is important, Grimmette said. When you're racing at 90-95 mph, you need time to develop skills to adjust to different situations, Grimmette said.

"When you feel confident on the sled, that confidence translates into time, too," Grimmette added, "because you're more relaxed on the sled. If you're more relaxed, you can react to situations on the track faster and you can also allow your body to be more relaxed. It helps you absorb a lot of the vibrations on the track. If you're tense, then you'll cut into the ice more and create more friction on the ice."